scope:

SCOPE AND FIELD OF APPLICATION

This international Standard specifies a general method known as the Karl Fischer method[1], suitable for the determination of free water or water of crystallization in most solid or liquid chemical products, both organic and inorganic.

Precautions are necessary in certain cases and these are specified in the appropriate International Standards.

Two methods of titration, depending on whether the endpoint is detected visually or electrometrically, are specified. The visual method can be used when no electrometric apparatus is available but is applicable only to colourless solutions; it is always a direct titration. The electrometric method, on the other hand, may involve either a direct titration or a back-titration. The electrometric method, whether by direct titration or back-titration, is the more accurate, and for this reason is recommended.